DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) The aim of the following proposal is the development of the asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction, and the application of this unique chemistry to the synthesis of biologically important natural products. The rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction represents a powerful method for the construction of common stereochemical motifs present in a variety of complex biologically important natural products and is particularly useful for the asymmetric synthesis of acyclic ternary and quaternary carbon stereogenic centers. Further development and application of this chemistry is necessary in order to define the scope and limitations of this important synthetic transformation. Preliminary studies will focus on the examination of stabilized carbon and nitrogen nucleophiles.